Review: Being Indy by Zoe Gaetjens

Being Indy is a story of community, acceptance and speaking up.

The concept behind this powerful story is to support and empower children to embrace their individuality and be their true selves.

illustrated by Estee Sarsfield

Publisher: Westwords

Publication date: October 2025

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Pages: 40

RRP: $29.95AU (hardcover)

Source: courtesy of the publisher

The Mountain was a fine place and many people wanted to live there but to live on The Mountain new members had to assimilate and be like everyone else.

Percival was the ruler of The Mountain and he had strict rules. 

I loved Estee Sarfield's imagining of the Mountain community as a playgroup which children can easily relate to and imagine that they too would want to play in this playground. The playground community is shown in black and white and any differences in colour.

Indy loved colour but she also wanted to play on The Mountain so she changed herself to fit in with everyone else.

It isn't long before Indy learns that someone must stand up and show their true self and that someone is her. Soon others join her showing their colours.

Percival put his strict rules in place to stop any name calling, finger pointing and bickering but he soon sees that when everyone is allowed to show their differences the community still functions in harmony.

Being Indy is the perfect book for younger children to understand that even though people are different they can still play together in harmony. For older children it is a great opener for discussions on assimilation and acceptance.

Being Indy is a book for our times celebrating our differences rather than covering them up. Being Indy teaches children that it is okay to be yourself.

My rating 4 / 5 🛝🛝🛝🛝

Recommended age: 4+ years

#beingindy #childrenspicturebook #childrensbooksonacceptance

#booksonindividuality #ausbookbloggers #littlesquirrelsbookshelf

Review: A Friend for Hope by Amie White

 A Friend for Hope is a gentle story about new friendships.

illustrated by Olena Oprich

Publisher: Noctilune Publishing

Publication date: 17th July 2025

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Pages: 47

Price: $15.39AU (paperback on AmazonAU)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

On first looking at the cover and title you might think that the little girl's name is Hope and she has a dog as a new friend. However on reading the story Zoe is the new friend for Hope the dog. I found this a bit confusing as Hope being in the title of the book you would think she was the main character. 

Zoe is an only child and homeschooled. Her mind often wanders away from her studies as she looks out the window at the other children playing outside.

Her parents realise Zoe may be lonely and as a surprise take her to the animal shelter to choose a dog as a friend.

All the dogs are jumping around and barking but Zoe picks an older dog who is sitting quietly in her kennel. Zoe feels a connection with this dog because she is quiet just like Zoe.

At first Hope didn't move from her corner but Zoe patiently sat by her quietly reading books until Hope felt ready to join her in outside activities.

Olena Oprich's large and bright illustrations are bold and expressive. The facial expressions on the characters tell a story all of their own. I feel like some of the pictures were just too large and close up, like you had to hold the book away.

Amie White has written an engaging story of patience, friendship and a quiet bonding experience through reading.

A Friend for Hope would be an excellent book for a family thinking of adopting a dog from a shelter. Teaching children to be patient while the dog adapts to it's new surroundings.

While younger children accepted the story as is, older children questioned why Zoe wasn't allowed to play with the other children. There was no mention in the story of being new to the area or that she was shy. Another question was why were the children playing outside her window on a school day. 

My rating 3 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐

Recommended age: 3 - 6 years

#afriendforhope #childrenspicturebook #ausbookbloggers #animalrescue #animaladoption #friendship

Review: The Deadly Diamond by Mark Greenwood

 The Deadly Diamond is the fourth book in Mark Greenwood's history hunter series.

Each book in the series delves into an historical mystery that has been left with question marks hanging over the case.

Other books in this series:

The Dragon's Treasure

The Vanishing

The Wonder Horse

" Every year, millions of visitors from across the world visit the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. They come to gaze upon the world's most notorious diamond. The Hope Diamond is a miracle of nature."

The Deadly Diamond harks back to ancient times. It's 1668 and a blue diamond said to be the all-seeing eye of the temple god is stolen. The Brahmin priests cast a curse forevermore on any mortal who possessed the idol's eye.

The story follows the deadly history of the blue diamond as it has been stolen, sold and resold by thieves, commoners, kings and queens. Cut and reshaped again and again. Some say the curse is real.

Mark Greenwood separates myth from fact in this fascinating investigation into the Hope Diamond's remarkable history. Could the Hope Diamond be the same diamond stolen from the idol's eye centuries ago?

Did the owners of the exquisite blue diamond meet untimely deaths or were they just coincidences that happened to make for captivating newspaper reporting at the time? Mark Greenwood cuts through the sensationalism to deliver the facts.

The story is wonderfully written with the inclusion of photos and sketches to ignite curiosity and inspire discovery.

The Deadly Diamond is a fascinating story that is sure to have readers searching for more information on The Hope Diamond and the people who had it in their possession.

I would have liked more information on the ancient mines and the mining process.

My rating 4 / 5 🔷🔷🔷🔷

Recommended age: 8 - 12 years

Teaching activities and notes can be found at Fremantle Press

https://fremantlepress.com.au/books/the-deadly-diamond/

Publisher: Fremantle Press

Publication date: 3rd June 2025

Series: History Hunter

Genre: Middle Grade / Non Fiction

Pages: 112

RRP: $14.99AU (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Review: Oliver and the Twisting Tornado by Chrissy Hobbs & Ben Jackson

 Oliver and the Twisting Tornado, Chrissy Hobbs and Ben Jackson's second book in their Navigating Natural Disasters series, is another thoughtfully written and informative picture book which would make a wonderful resource for both caregivers and teachers of young children aged 5 - 10 years.

Illustrated by Tanya Zeinlova

Publisher: Indie Publishing Group

Publication date: 9th July 2025

Series: Navigating Natural Disasters #2

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Pages: 34

Source: eCopy courtesy of the authors

Oliver and the Twisting Tornado was written to help children manage storm-related anxiety and feel confident taking action.

The story explains the difference between a watch alert, a warning alert and an emergency alert. All explained in simple language that children will understand.

Tanya Zeinlova's realistic sketched illustrations depict familiar objects around a family home which enables children to connect with the story on a familiarity level.

Full double page colour spreads follow the story step by step as the children prepare for the weather event, enter the shelter and then exit when the tornado has passed making it easy to follow the line of the story even for children who cannot as yet read.

Understanding what is going to happen helps to keep children calm.

I loved that the story ended with the town coming together to help clean up with people from out of town also offering a helping hand.

The certificate for, reading and learning about tornado safety, in the back of the book is a fun extra to use in an educational environment with everyone receiving a certificate.

A checklist of what to do to prepare for a weather event is also included which would be ideal to have handy for an anxious child.

Oliver and the Twisting Tornado is a gentle and sensitive picture book that encourages confidence and resilience in the face of adversity.

My rating 5 / 5 🌪🌪🌪🌪🌪

Recommended age: 5 - 10 years

My review of Max and the Mighty Hurricane

#oliverandthetwistingtornado #childrenspicturebook #ausbookbloggers #earlylearning #childrensbooksonnaturaldisasters 

Mailbox Monday - Sat 17th January 2026

MAILBOX MONDAY

On Mondays (yes, I know it's Saturday but let's not let that little detail get in the way of a good post title) I will be posting the new books I have received for review, won and purchased over the previous week/ month.

The Midnight Chew by Sally Morgan

About the book: 

In this fun, canine adventure, Boofa Boy Jones and Skippy Gillespie must learn the importance of sharing.

When Boofa Boy Jones steals Skippy Gillespie’s very big bone, a marvellous doggy race ensues. All through the night the pair run through the suburban streets from the doggy dump to the dog park and home again. But who will win the mighty bone, and will they feast all alone?

Archie the Amazing Axolotl by Lana Johnson

About the book:

Archie is a pink axolotl who lives in the shimmering waters of Wiggle Bottom Lagoon. He's full of energy, creativity, and ideas, so many ideas. He loves to build things out of pebbles and pondweed, and sometimes he blurts out his thoughts before he's even finished thinking them. But oh, the brilliance that lives in Archie's mind.

The Pout Pout Fish Movie Storybook

About the book:

The Pout-Pout Fish is a glum, gloomy swimmer who doesn't quite fit in . . . But maybe he hasn't gone on the right adventure yet! Swim along with Mr. Fish as he discovers new places and meets new friends. Turns out being pouty isn't really his destiny. It's much easier to find the courage to be yourself with friends by your side.

The movie tie-in edition of the New York Times bestselling, blockbuster sensation The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen and Dan Hanna features new characters and many fin-tastic surprises.

Vivi & Oki: What's That Sound by Domonika Tomanek

About the book:

As the first book in the Vivi and Oki series it gently introduces early sounds to help your baby begin connecting sounds with words.

Whether you're snuggling up at home or reading on the go, make story time playful and fun.

A Friend for Hope by Amie White

About the book:

Nine-year-old Zoe Meadows is the new kid in Ivy Creek. For homeschooled Zoe, every day starts the same: breakfast, then to the living room where Miss Ellis awaits. Only today, Zoe can’t focus—not when she notices neighborhood children playing outside, children she’s yet to meet.

Watching all this unfold, Zoe’s parents decide it’s time for a companion—the furry kind, to be precise. Everything changes when Zoe meets Hope at the dog shelter for the first time. The two girls form an inseparable bond over the following months and find in each other the one thing they both craved for a long, long time: a forever friend.


#themidnightchew #archietheamazingaxolotl #thepoutpoutfish #viviandokiwhatsthatsound #afriendforhope #picturebooks #bookmail #australianauthor #ausbookbloggers #friendship #sharing #earlylearning

Review: I'm Very Busy by Oliver Jeffers

 Have all Bridget's friends forgotten her birthday?

Written & illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

Publisher: Harper Collins Children's

Publication date: 14th October 2025

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Pages: 32

RRP: $24.99AU (hardcover)

Today is Bridget's birthday. The perfect day to spend with friends.

One by one Bridget asks her friends if they have plans for later in the day. Each of them announce they have lots to do and are very busy. 

When Pearl overhears Bridget mention her birthday the friends quickly band together, each denying that they did actually forget. They all pitch in and plan the perfect day to spend together.

I'm Very Busy is a welcome reminder to children, and their carers, that in today's busy world it's easy to forget the most important thing; finding time for friends.

In I'm Very Busy Jeffers adds lots of humour which lightens what could otherwise be a sad moment. The story includes a very strong theme of; even if we do sometimes get it wrong there is always a way to redeem ourselves and be there for our friends.

Sometimes you come across a children's book that seems to be subtly aimed at the caregivers and I think I'm Very Busy is one of them. In this busy, busy world we all need to find time to be there for our friends and family.

Jeffers' illustrations are whimsical and filled with fun, and I love how the use of pastel colour is added throughout the story. The illustrations are soft and spare and don't overpower the story but add a dimension of whimsy.

my rating 5 / 5 🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂

Recommended age: 3+  years

#imverybusy #childrenspicturebook #oliverjeffers #ausbookbloggers #booksaboutbirthdays #booksaboutfriendship #childrensbookswithhumour

Review: The Haunted Jungle by Nathan Stafford & Kelly Hughes

The Adventures of Nathan's Lawns and Gardens 

Social media sensation Nathan Stafford, along with his partner Kelly Hughes, have produced an engaging and fun picture book that delivers an important message of kindness to others.

Nathan likes to help deserving members of the community. He mows lawns and tidies gardens where they have grown out of control and become overwhelming for the residents.

Illustrated by Vaughan Duck

Publisher: Self Published

Publication date: 18th September 2025

Series: The Adventures of Nathan's Lawns and Gardens #1

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Pages: 30

RRP: $22.00AU (hardcover)

Source: Own purchase

There were scary noises coming from Nanny Nancy's yard and the local children called it The Haunted Jungle and stayed well away.

Follow along on this fun adventure as Nathan and his trusty lawnmower Turbo uncover the mystery of The Haunted Jungle and help out a neighbour along the way.

The book features delightful double page colour spreads illustrated in cartoon style by Vaughan Duck with lots of behind the scene placements, little things that bring the story to life. Such as, the pair of sneakers hanging on the telegraph lines and the little water bottle sitting beside the basketball court.

I loved the cute little gnomes placed throughout the story. They create an engaging look and find element to the book.

The Haunted Jungle is a story that teaches young readers about performing acts of kindness without expecting rewards.

At the back of the book is a labelled illustration of Nathan's safety gear and Turbo's mower parts.

Bravo Nathan and Kelly, The Haunted Jungle is a fun picture book that I'm certain will be loved by children everywhere.

Follow Nathan's Lawns and Gardens on Facebook where he has 5.7 million followers and on Instagram where he has 3 million followers. I never thought I would be so engrossed in someone mowing lawns. 🤣

🏥A portion of the proceeds from each book will go to Westmead Children's Hospital.

My rating 5 / 5 🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃

Recommended age: 3 - 8 years

#nathanslawnsandgardens #thehauntedjungle #theadventuresofnathanslawnsandgardens #childrenspicturebook #australianauthor #debut #newseriesforchildren #ausbookbloggers